On my return trip to Thailand, I hooked up with my friend Mafeung again. She has a brother in Chonburi. I didn't know what was there. But it was new so we took a day trip to visit.

Chonburi is actually a province southeast of Bangkok. We arrived to find out her brother lives in Pattaya, a city on the coast. It's the hottest place I've been to yet. If there's a good reason for a trip to end, it's for a reprieve from the weather.

Pattaya is located along the Gulf of Thailand, along the eastern coast. The area was untouched by the tsunami. The tides were only a foot tall at most. Still, I kept an eye on the horizon the whole time

. Pattaya does have a rather dubious reputation. The men who can't hire dates in Bangkok head here.

The beaches are picturesque, just like any you'd see in a postcard. We strolled along in the shallow surf. I was surprised how warm the water was. Warmer than baths or showers I take back home. Even as I went further in. And very few tourists to be seen. Fallout from the tsunami has been slow to subside.

On the way back, we saw a brother and sister carrying a small bucket. Mafeung went to investigate. Inside were small clams they had been digging. Also some sea-type centipedes about three inches long. Dinner for their family. Mafeung got on her knees and helped the sister dig for clams. I watched the brother at work. He'd find a small hole in the sand. From the water side, he'd dabble a piece of torn seafood as bait. From the land side, he'd hold a fork. When the centipede crawled out, he stabbed the fork through the sand. Never failed. It sounds pretty easy. And yet ingenious to someone who just ordered a calimari and shrimp salad from a lounge chair a little bit further up the beach.